Talent pipeline for BelNPP: Training of specialists for nuclear power plant

Belarus continues implementing an important national project - the construction of a nuclear power plant. The construction of this facility is turning the Belarusian energy industry into one of the most promising sectors. The finish line is not far off. The first unit of the nuclear power plant is to be commissioned in 2018, the second one in 2020.

It is estimated that each unit will be serviced by approximately one thousand specialists. The state has been proactive in developing the national school in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The head of the Department of Electronics of the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (BSUIR), Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associated Professor Sergei Drobot talked to BelTA about the training of personnel for the NPP in Belarus.

Full-Throttle Schooling

BSUIR joined the state nuclear personnel training program of the Republic of Belarus for 2008-2020 in 2008. The university was tasked with training of specialists for the Belarusian nuclear power plant in the area of electronics and automated systems. The program provides for the annual enrollment of 30 persons into the majors "Electronic control systems in nuclear power plants" under the Industrial Electronics program. In 2013 BSUIR launched a new course "Electronic and information management systems of physical installations". However, before taking first students, in the summer of 2009 the university worked thoroughly on the educational platform.

Previously, the university had no significant experience in personnel training for this particular industry. In the mid 1980s BSUIR graduates were welcome in the Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research Sosny of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Now, the university has been tasked with training of personnel in the field of electronics, automated systems and information technology. Moreover, these specialists are expected to be also competent in matters of physics of reactors and control systems for nuclear power plants. We have developed a versatile set of disciplines. It includes Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Power Reactors, Dosimetry and Radiation Protection, Methods and Devices to Register Ionizing Radiation, Control and Management of Nuclear Power Plants and Automated Control Systems of Technological Processes of NPP". Back then BSUIT had no academic staff who could provide training on these five disciplines. The situation with specialized laboratories and teaching aids was no better. We had to deal with a three-pronged challenge: academic staff training, training research laboratories, and textbooks.

The university studied the international experience in this matter and found out that the list of courses run by Russian universities includes "Electronics and Automatics of Physical Installations" under the Nuclear Physics and Technology program. BSUIR sought the assistance of the Russian colleagues, and thus came closer to resolving its problems.

Wide Geography for Internship

The BSUIR academic staff took courses run by the National Research Nuclear University “Moscow Engineering Physics Institute”, the Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering, the Tomsk Polytechnical University, the Ural Federal University at the departments with specialization in Electronics and Automatics of Physical Installations. The State Corporation Rosatom has its companies across the country and keeps in direct touch with the abovementioned educational establishments. The Belarusian teaching staff was primarily interested in the Russian educational process, especially in laboratory-based courses.

An important step forward for BSUIR was the establishment of partner relations with Rosatoms’ industrial companies that develop electronic devices for control and management systems at the operating nuclear power plants and those under construction in Russia. The university set up two laboratories in cooperation with the Russian companies. NPP equipment is used in the educational process. The benefit of such an approach is evident. First of all, students hone their theoretical skills. Secondly, they gain experience in working with the devices and equipment they are going to use in their future career. The All-Russia Research Institute of Automatics was one of the companies BSUIR fruitfully cooperated with in the area. The Russian institute develops software and hardware tools for modern digital automated control systems for NPPs. These systems are designed to operate executive devices and equipment of the reactor room or the machine hall, and exchange information between various technological process sensors and the control unit. The institute has its instrument standalone rack which students use to develop and study automated control systems and algorithms of their functioning. It is also used to study software engineering and configuration of microprocessing functional modules. The Moscow Research Institute of Instrument Engineering is another organization that helped the university set up a laboratory of radiation control methods and tools.

In Close Contact with Rosatom and IAEA

BSUIR addressed the problem of teaching aids and textbooks in close cooperation with Russian universities and Rosatom’s leading companies. The university has so far bought over 800 copies of various printed publications on the disciplines. These are textbooks, study guides, reference books and monographs. Russian counterparts have also shared nearly 10 development works. The All-Russian Research Institute for Nuclear Power Plant Operation also provided BSUIR with study materials for students. These materials are used in the course on the automated systems of management of technological processes at nuclear power plants. As for their own teaching and learning solutions, the Department of Electronics developed five projects including a set of electronic study guides.

The assistance on the part of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is another area of cooperation that allowed BSUIR to improve the education process. The IAEA actively cooperates with all the countries that start using nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes. The agency operates different programs of technical assistance to finance the supplies of the equipment and software necessary for the organizations working with nuclear technologies and for the universities that train highly-qualified nuclear specialists. The IAEA provided BSUIR with a computer-based training system on technologies, policy, and other matters connected with the construction and use of nuclear power plants.

Besides, by the order of the IAEA, the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute developed and presented to the BSUIR a wonderful analytical simulator imitating the processes in a nuclear power plant, the reactor compartment, and the turbine island. The simulator helps students study such courses as Nuclear Physics and Arrangement of Nuclear Power Reactors, and Automated Systems of Management of Technological Processes.

Guest lecturers

Russian specialists and scientists help Belarusian students and teaching staff with the new courses. For example, Associate Professor, Candidate of Technical Sciences of the Ural Federal University Valery Bagayev visited BSUIR to give lectures on the methods and devices used for detecting nuclear radiation while Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor of the Tomsk Polytechnic University Sergei Liventsov delivered lectures on the control and management systems of nuclear power plants. Associate Professor, Candidate of Technical Sciences of the National Research Nuclear University “Moscow Engineering Physics Institute” Sergei Vygovsky was invited to lecture on the automated systems of management of technological processes at nuclear power plants and give classes on how to use the analytical simulator.

As for the academic performance evaluation system, BSUIR does not apply any extreme measures. The university operates a well-run performance appraisal rating system. Each student is evaluated three times during the academic semester and then receives the final course grade at the exam. There is no need in a more detailed control of the education process. Moreover, the programs of on-the-job practical training help the BSUIR students maintain and improve their skills. The students undergo such training twice during their university education: after the fourth year and before they start writing their graduation papers.

Focus on practical training

For two years in a row BSUIR students have been doing practical training at Rosatom companies specializing in the design and manufacture of elements of automated systems for the operation of technological processes at NPPs and operating nuclear power plants in Russia. BSUIR students worked at the Kaliningrad nuclear power plant because it is equipped with a modern digital operation system similar to the one that will be installed at the Belarusian NPP. There are plans to send a number of people to the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research in Dubna this year. Scientists from the CIS countries are currently implementing a large-scale research project to build the NICA accelerator complex similar to CERN’s Large Hadron Collider there. This accelerator complex is needed to study reactions between heavy ions with high energy. In these heavy-ion collisions new particles will be formed. It is necessary to register and study the properties of these particles. Experts are currently busy with the manufacture of a detector which will accumulate data about the parameters of particles, their movement trajectories, charges and time of flight. It is a difficult task; therefore, many specialists, including from BSUIR, are engaged in this project. Trainees will take an active part in the development of the detector.

University graduates also take part in the preparation and organization of the education process in the department. They help lecturers create lab stands and prepare education materials. Two or three senior students work as engineers at the university chair, polish their skills in technical research connected with the designing and monitoring of lab stands, test and measuring devices.

Not only nuclear experts

Of course, specialists having advanced technical and technological knowledge who received training based on the many-year experience of Russian universities and research labs equipped with cutting-edge test and measuring devices will be in demand on the labor market. BSUIR trains multi-skilled specialists. They are good at various kinds of activities such as manufacturing, project designing, repair and maintenance, education. Graduates majoring in electronic and information management systems of physical installations will be able to work not only at the BelNPP but also other organizations and enterprises specializing in the designing, production and maintenance of automated systems for the operation of various technological processes, nuclear instrumentation. These include Scientific and Production Enterprise Atomtex, OOO Polimaster, OAO Agat – Control Systems, institutes of the National Academy of Sconces of Belarus, thermal power plants and engineering companies of the Energy Ministry.

Yelizaveta BETSKO,
BelTA